Partial pressure suit



May 12, 1959 J. P. HENRY 2,886,027

' PARTIAL PRESSURE sum" Filed April @s. 1948 2 Shets-Sheet 1 IINVENTOR May 12, 1959 J. P. HENRY 2,886,027

PARTIAL. PRESSURE SUIT Filed April 13, 1948 z sneets-sheet 2 1 INVENTOR 22 A MES ,s/wey BY W/ United States Patent PARTIAL PRESSURE SUIT James P. Henry, Yellow Springs, Ohio, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Application April 13, 1948, Serial No. 21,943

7 Claims. (Cl. 128-1) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a high-altitude-protective suit for flying personnel.

It is known that above 42,300 feet above sea level pressure-breathing of oxygen is required for survival. When using pressure breathing at 50,000 feet of altitude pressure on certain areas of the body is required to prevent blood from migrating from the trunk and pooling in the limb veins. At 63,000 feet it is desirable that all parts of the body should be subjected to some pressure, certain areas to receive higher pressure than others, in order to prevent blood pooling and migration of the blood plasma through the capillaries, and yet to maintain mobility. The present suit has afforded protection successfully in a decompression simulating a height of 90,- 000 feet above sea level. i

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a suit which will supply substantially uniform all-over pressure to an aviator to balance the necessary rise in intrathoracic pressure applied by a special helmet and prevent blood pooling and plasma loss.

The object is to provide a suit which will prevent dangerous shifts of liquids and gases within the body at extreme altitudes and in addition, to prevent local swellings due to aeroenphysema. One such condition that is to be prevented is the pooling of blood in the veins. Another is loss of fluid from the capillaries.

Another object is to provide a suit which will enable an aviator to endure an explosive decompression at high altitude, for example, when a pressurized cabin is suddenly ruptured, as by gunfire.

Another object is to provide a suit which could be arranged to maintain a higher pressure on the wearers lungs and head than upon other parts of his body, thus possibly protecting against the efiects of negative accelerations i.e. those acting from foot to head.

Another object is to provide a suit that will permit the escape of moisture due to perspiration from the skin while maintaining such pressure that blood or lymph will not accumulate in the regions of the body not directly pressured by the high pressures-the hips.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a subject wearing a suit made according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same subject;

Fig. 3 is an oblique View, taken from the rear, of bladders forming part of the suit and used for compressing the area over the lungs;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing the lacing means by which the suit may be accommodated to different sized wearers; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are schematic views, elevational and sectional respectively, illustrating the construction of the pneumatic levers or capstans used to tighten the suit about the wearer.

10 is a garment of the coverall type and is preferably made of porous but strong substantially non-stretching cloth. A helmet 11 may be joined to the garment 10 at the neckline 12. Portions 13 over the knees and elbows are gathered material to promote looseness and therefore mobility. Goggles 14 are attached to the helmet 11; a

microphone 15 may be fitted into the helmet face piece 16. The terminal 17 of an oxygen-supply tube 18 also fits into the face piece 16. In the tube 18 there is a special oxygen pressure-regulating valve 19. The helmet and its accouterments form no part of the present invention, but it is necessary to show them to illustrate how the general result isobtained.

Extending up the outer conformations of the trunk and arms there are lacings 20 which alternately engage loops 21 which are attached to the edges of the garment (see Fig. 4). The lacings 20 therefore extend over channels 21a which are defined by the garment edges. By regulating the tightness of the lacing 20, the garment may be Worn by different-sized subjects and still fit each snugly. A gusset 2117 may be and preferably is extended across each channel 21a to prevent pinching of the wearers skin when the channel narrows.

Also extending up the outside edges of each of the leg portions (see Fig. 2) there is a tough,resilient, tube 23,

which may be of rubber coated by fabric. It is covered with a strong cloth cover 24. These tubes are located adjacent or over the laced portions but may be located elsewhere in relation to it. The laced portion for example, may be on the rear surface of the garment trunk portion while the tubes 23-24 are at the side. The arrangement as shown is preferred.

Interdigitating tapes 25 and 26 are attached at one end tothe cover 24 and at the other end to a cloth tube 27 which is that portion of the garment which encloses the arm or leg (see Fig. 6). Consequently, when the tube 23 is inflated, an additional tightening effect exceeding that of the lacings 20 and due to the stressing of the tapes by the tube, will thus be applied to the entire eody except the head, feet, hands, knees and elbows. The effect is, of course, regulatable by changing the amount of inflation of the tubes 23. The amount of pressure exerted on the body should range from 1 to 3 p.s.i., the upper limit being i used at altitudes say, of 75,000 feet or higher.

The pressure is derived from the general oxygen supply of the airplane and is applied to the suit through a tube 35 which is preferably located at the side of the waist. T-shaped tubular metallic connectors 36 are provided Wherever necessary or desirable, for example, on the shoulders to introduce slack into the tubing 23 or for other reasons.

Extending down the middle of the front of the trunk portion there is a slide fastener 28. Tubes 29 and 3% run from the abdominal bladder to inflate the shoes. Others 31 and 32 extend down the calves and still others 33 and 34 from the wrists to the elbows. A slide fastener may also attach the helmet 11 to the suit 10 but such attachment is not necessary.

While it is desirable that for extreme altitudes the gloves, shoes and helmet have some degree of inflation, still for most work this can be dispensed with. The gloves and shoes may be connected for this purpose to the ends of the tubes 23. It is essential however, that the lungs be protected with pressure bladders such as shown in Fig. 3.

by stitching or otherwise.

.and 40 which are left and right respectively. Bladders 39 and 40 are in interior communication with the bladder 38 through flattened portions of the shoulders. In one Patented May 12, 1959 gseaoav of these there is an inflating tube 41. Tube 41 is in interior communication with the inflatable tubes 23, hence the pressure in the bladder assembly 38 is substantially equal to that in the tubes 23.

The bladders 39and 40 extend downward so far that their extremities 3% and 40a which are narrowed, can extend around the crotch. To facilitate the banding necessary, there are semi-circular cutouts 42 and 43 in bladders 39 and 40 respectively to enable these bladders to fit respectively about the junctions of the legs with the trunk.

In use, the breathing tube 18 and the inflation tube 35 are both connected to the same source of oxygen, but the pressure for breathing is lowered by valve 19 and may be adjusted by manually regulating that valve. In order to obtain a proper inflation pressure which is higher than the breathing pressure, a separate reducing valve may be necessary and it may be attached to tube 35. A valve especially adapted to such duty is the General Electric Type PH C electric solenoid valve. Its details are not part of the present invention.

In practical use, the suit which has been described is worn like a suit of underwear under regular flying clothes.

The invention claimed is:

1. A high-altitude-protective suit for flying personnel which comprises a close-fitting coverall type of garment, tubes of a strong, resilient, expansible gas-tight substance extending completely about the outer edges of the garment, cloth covers for said tubes, a multiplicity of inter- 4. A suit according to claim 1 in which there is, in

, addition, an inflatable bladder attached to the inner surface of the suit and positioned to be held over the Wearers lungs at the rear and sides-thereof, said bladder being connected to be inflated at the same time and from the same source of gas but to a pressure differing from that in the tubes extending about the outer edges of the garment. I

5. A suit according to claim 4 having in addition auxiliary bladders fitting over the shoulders, extending along the sides of the chest on the front thereof and around the crotch, said bladders being attached tothe inner surface of the suit.

6. A suit according to claim 5 in which the bladders are supplied by the same inflating means as the tubes which extend around the outer edges of the garment and have a connection for receiving inflation.

7. A high-altitude-protective suit for protecting flying personnel from migration of blood and over distension of the lungs which comprises a garment covering the wearer from neck to ankles and wrists, said garment being made of strong, porous cloth, at least one lacing extending up one side of the wearers trunk whereby the suit may be altered in diameter to fit wearers of different sizes, strong, resilient, expansible tubes disposed on said garment at the outer conformations thereof and extending completely along said outer conformations, cloth covers forsaid tube, a multiplicity of interdigitating tapes extending crosswise of said tubes and being attached as to one end to one of said covers and as to the other end to-the fabric of said garment so that inflation of the tube will exert a tightening stress on the garment whereby to tighten the garment over substantially the entire body except the extremities to prevent the migration of blood and over distension of fabric.

the lungs at extreme altitudes, a connection for said tubes whereby the said tubes may be coupled to a source of inflating gas, a pressure regulating valve between said connection and said tubes, and at least one bladder attached to said suit over the thoracic region.

No references cited. 

